JOSH. xxiv.25.—So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statue and an ordinance in Shechem.

2 KINGS xi.17.—And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord's people; between the king also and the people.

ISAIAH xliv.5.—One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

Assembly at EDINBURGH, August 30, 1639. Sess. 23.

ACT ordaining, by Ecclesiastical Authority, the Subscription of
the CONFESSION OF FAITH AND COVENANT, with the ASSEMBLY'S
Declaration.

THE General Assembly considering the great happiness which may
flow from a full and perfect union of this kirk and kingdom, by
joining of all in one and the same Covenant with God, with the King's
Majesty, and amongst ourselves; having, by our great oath, declared
the uprightness and loyalty of our intentions in all our proceedings;
and having withal supplicated his Majesty's high Commissioner, and
the Lords of his Majesty's honourable Privy Council, to enjoin, by act
of council, all the lieges in time coming to subscribe the Confession of
Faith and Covenant; which, as a testimony of our fidelity to God, and
loyalty to our King, we have subscribed: And seeing his Majesty's
high Commissioner, and the Lords of his Majesty's honourable Privy
Council, have granted the desire of our supplication, ordaining, by civil
authority, all his Majesty's lieges, in time coming, to subscribe the
foresaid Covenant: that our union may be the more full and perfect,
we, by our act and constitution ecclesiastical, do approve the foresaid
Covenant in all the heads and clauses thereof; and ordain of new,
under all ecclesiastical censure, That all the masters of universities,
colleges, and schools, all scholars at the passing of their degrees, all
persons suspected of Papistry, or any other error; and finally, all the
members of this kirk and kingdom, subscribe the same, with these
words prefixed to their subscription, "The Article of this Covenant,
which was at the first subscription referred to the determination of the
General Assembly, being determined; and thereby the five articles of
Perth, the government of the kirk by bishops, the civil places and
power of kirkmen, upon the reasons and grounds contained in the acts
of the General Assembly, declared to be unlawful within this kirk; we
subscribe according to the determination foresaid." And ordain the
Covenant, with this declaration, to be insert in the registers of the
Assemblies of this kirk, general, provincial, and presbyterial, ad perpetuam
rei memoriam. And in all humility supplicate his Majesty's high
Commissioner, and the honourable estates of Parliament, by their
authority, to ratify and enjoin the same, under all civil pains; which
will tend to the glory of God, preservation of religion, the King's
Majesty's honour, and perfect peace of this kirk and kingdom.

Charles I. Parl. 2. Act 5.

ACT anent the Ratification of the COVENANT, and of the Assembly's
Supplication, Act of Council, and Act of Assembly
concerning the Covenant.

At EDINBURGH, June 11, 1640.

THE Estates of Parliament, presently convened by his
Majesty's special authority, considering the supplication
of the General Assembly at Edinburgh, the 12th of August
1639, to his Majesty's high Commissioner, and the Lords of
his Majesty's honourable Privy Council; and the act of council
of the 30th of August 1639, containing the answer of the
said supplication; and the act of the said General Assembly,
ordaining, by their ecclesiastical constitution, the subscription
of the Confession of Faith and Covenant mentioned in their
supplication: and withal, having supplicated his Majesty to
ratify and enjoin the same by his royal authority, under all
civil pains, as tending to the glory of God, the preservation
of religion, the King's Majesty's honour, and the perfect
peace of this kirk and kingdom; do ratify and approve the
said supplication, act of council, and act of Assembly; and,
conform thereto, ordain and command the said Confession
and Covenant to be subscribed by all his Majesty's subjects
of what rank and quality soever, under all civil pains; and
ordain the said supplication, act of Council, and act of the
Assembly, with the whole Confession and Covenant itself,
to be insert and registrate in the acts and books of parliament;
and also ordain the same to be presented at the
entry of every parliament, and, before they proceed to any
other act, that the same be publickly read, and sworn by
the whole members of parliament claiming voice therein;
otherwise the refusers to subscribe and swear the same shall
have no place nor voice in parliament: And sicklike, ordain
all judges, magistrates, or other officers, of whatsoever place,
rank, or quality, and ministers at their entry, to swear and
subscribe the same Covenant, whereof the tenor follows.

THE

NATIONAL COVENANT;

OR, THE

CONFESSION OF FAITH:

Subscribed at first by the King's Majesty, and his Household,
in the year 1580; thereafter by persons of all ranks in the
Year 1581, by ordinance of the Lords of secret council, and
acts of the General Assembly; subscribed again by all sorts
of persons in the year 1590, by a new ordinance of council,
at the desire of the General Assembly: with a general bond
for the maintaining of the true Christian religion, and the
King's person; and, together with a resolution and promise,
for the causes after expressed, to maintain the true religion,
and the King's Majesty, according to the foresaid Confession
and acts of Parliament, subscribed by Barons, Nobles,
Gentlemen, Burgesses, Ministers, and Commons, in the year
1638: approven by the General Assembly 1638 and 1639;
and subscribed again by persons of all ranks and qualities
in the year 1639, by an ordinance of council, upon the supplication
of the General Assembly, and act of the General
Assembly, ratified by an act of Parliament 1640: and subscribed
by King Charles II. at Spey, June 23, 1650, and
Scoon, January 1. 1651.

WE all and every one of us under-written, protest, That,
after long and due examination of our own consciences
in matters of true and false religion, we are now thoroughly
resolved in the truth by the word and Spirit of God: and
therefore we believe with our hearts, confess with our
mouths, subscribe with our hands, and constantly affirm,
before God and the whole world, that this only is the true
Christian faith and religion, pleasing God, and bringing salvation
to man, which now is, by the mercy of God, revealed
to the world by the preaching of the blessed evangel;
and is received, believed, and defended by many and sundry
notable kirks and realms, but chiefly by the kirk of Scotland,
the King's Majesty, and three estates of this realm, as
God's eternal truth, and only ground of our salvation; as
more particularly is expressed in the Confession of our Faith,
established and publickly confirmed by sundry acts of Parliaments,
and now of a long time hath been openly professed
by the King's Majesty, and whole body of this realm both
in burgh and land. To the which Confession and Form of
Religion we willingly agree in our conscience in all points,
as unto God's undoubted truth and verity, grounded only
upon his written word. And therefore we abhor and detest
all contrary religion and doctrine; but chiefly all kind
of Papistry in general and particular heads, even as they are
now damned and confuted by the word of God and Kirk
of Scotland. But, in special, we detest and refuse the
usurped authority of that Roman Antichrist upon the scriptures
of God, upon the kirk, the civil magistrate, and consciences
of men; all his tyrannous laws made upon indifferent
things against our Christian liberty; his erroneous
doctrine against the sufficiency of the written word, the
perfection of the law, the office of Christ, and his blessed
evangel; his corrupted doctrine concerning original sin, our
natural inability and rebellion to God's law, our justification
by faith only, our imperfect sanctification and obedience
to the law; the nature, number, and use of the holy
sacraments; his five bastard sacraments, with all his rites,
ceremonies, and false doctrine, added to the ministration of
the true sacraments without the word of God; his cruel
judgment against infants departing without the sacrament;
his absolute necessity of baptism; his blasphemous opinion
of transubstantiation, or real presence of Christ's body in the
elements, and receiving of the same by the wicked, or bodies
of men; his dispensations with solemn oaths, perjuries, and
degrees of marriage forbidden in the word; his cruelty
against the innocent divorced; his devilish mass; his blasphemous
priesthood; his profane sacrifice for sins of the
dead and the quick; his canonization of men; calling upon
angels or saints departed, worshipping of imagery, relicks,
and crosses; dedicating of kirks, altars, days; vows to creatures;
his purgatory, prayers for the dead; praying or
speaking in a strange language, with his processions, and
blasphemous litany, and multitude of advocates or mediators;
his manifold orders, auricular confession; his desperate
and uncertain repentance; his general and doubtsome
faith; his satisfaction of men for their sins; his justification
by works, opus operatum, works of supererogation,
merits, pardons, peregrinations, and stations; his holy
water, baptizing of bells, conjuring of spirits, crossing,
sayning, anointing, conjuring, hallowing of God's good
creatures, with the superstitious opinion joined therewith;
his worldly monarchy, and wicked hierarchy; his three
solemn vows, with all his shavelings of sundry sorts; his
erroneous and bloody decrees made at Trent, with all the
subscribers or approvers of that cruel and bloody band,
conjured against the kirk of God. And finally, we detest
all his vain allegories, rites, signs, and traditions brought in
the kirk, without or against the word of God, and doctrine
of this true reformed kirk; to the which we join ourselves
willingly, in doctrine, faith, religion, discipline, and use of
the holy sacraments, as lively members of the same in
Christ our head: promising and swearing, by the great
name of the LORD our GOD, that we shall continue in
the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this kirk,
and shall defend the same, according to our vocation and
power, all the days of our lives; under the pains contained
in the law, and danger both of body and soul in the day of
God's fearful judgment.

And seeing that many are stirred up by Satan, and that
Roman Antichrist, to promise, swear, subscribe, and for a
time use the holy sacraments in the kirk deceitfully, against
their own conscience; minding hereby, first, under the
external cloak of religion, to corrupt and subvert secretly
God's true religion within the kirk; and afterward, when
time may serve, to become open enemies and persecutors of
the same, under vain hope of the Pope's dispensation, devised
against the word of God, to his greater confusion, and
their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Jesus:
we therefore, willing to take away all suspicion of hypocrisy,
and of such double dealing with God, and his kirk,
protest, and call the Searcher of all hearts for witness, that
our minds and hearts do fully agree with this our Confession,
promise, oath, and subscription: so that we are not
moved with any worldly respect, but are persuaded only in
our conscience, through the knowledge and love of God's
true religion imprinted in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, as
we shall answer to him in the day when the secrets of all
hearts shall be disclosed.

And because we perceive, that the quietness and stability
of our religion and kirk doth depend upon the safety and
good behaviour of the King's Majesty, as upon a comfortable
instrument of God's mercy granted to this country, for
the maintaining of his kirk, and ministration of justice
amongst us; we protest and promise with our hearts,
under the same oath, hand-writ, and pains, that we shall
defend his person and authority with our goods, bodies,
and lives, in the defence of Christ, his evangel, liberties of
our country, ministration of justice, and punishment of
iniquity, against all enemies within this realm or without,
as we desire our God to be a strong and merciful defender
to us in the day of our death, and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ; to whom, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be
all honour and glory eternally. Amen.

LIKEAS many Acts of Parliament, not only in general
do abrogate, annul, and rescind all laws, statutes, acts,
constitutions, canons civil or municipal, with all other ordinances,
and practique penalties whatsoever, made in prejudice
of the true religion, and professors thereof; or of the
true kirk, discipline, jurisdiction, and freedom thereof; or
in favours of idolatry and superstition, or of the Papistical
kirk: As Act 3. Act 31. Parl. 1. Act 23. Parl. 11. Act
114. Parl. 12 of King James VI. That Papistry and superstition
may be utterly suppressed, according to the intention
of the Acts of Parliament, repeated in the fifth Act, Parl.
20, King James VI. And to that end they ordain all
Papists and Priests to be punished with manifold civil and
ecclesiastical pains, as adversaries to God's true religion,
preached, and by law established, within this realm, Act 24.
Parl. 11. King James VI.; as common enemies to all
Christian government, Act 18. Parl. 16. King James VI.;
as rebellers and gainstanders of our Sovereign Lord's authority,
Act 47. Parl. 3. King James VI.; and as idolaters,
Act 104, Parl. 7. King James VI. But also in particular,
by and attour the Confession of Faith, do abolish and condemn
the Pope's authority and jurisdiction out of this land,
and ordains the maintainers thereof to be punished, Act 2.
Parl. 1. Act 51. Parl. 3. Act 106. Parl. 7. Act 114.
Parl. 12. King James VI. do condemn the Pope's erroneous
doctrine, or any other erroneous doctrine repugnant to
any of the articles of the true and Christian religion, publickly
preached and by law established in this realm; and
ordains the spreaders and makers of books or libels, or
letters or writs of that nature, to be punished, Act 46.
Parl. 3. Act 106. Parl. 7. Act 24, Parl. 11, King James
VI. do condemn all baptism conform to the Pope's kirk,
and the idolatry of the mass; and ordains all sayers, wilful
hearers, and concealers of the mass, the maintainers and
resetters of the priests, Jesuits, trafficking Papists, to be
punished without any exception or restriction, Act 5.
Parl. 1. Act 120. Parl. 12. Act 164. Parl. 13. Act 193.
Parl. 14. Act 1. Parl. 19. Act 5. Parl. 20. King James
VI. do condemn all erroneous books and writs containing
erroneous doctrine against the religion presently professed,
or containing superstitious rites and ceremonies Papistical,
whereby the people are greatly abused; and ordains the
home-bringers of them to be punished, Act 25. Parl. 11.
King James VI. do condemn the monuments and dregs of
bygone idolatry, as going to crosses, observing the festival
days of saints, and such other superstitious and Papistical
rites, to the dishonour of God, contempt of true religion,
and fostering of great error among the people; and ordains
the users of them to be punished for the second fault, as
idolaters, Act 104. Parl. 7. King James VI.

Likeas many Acts of Parliament are conceived for maintenance
of God's true and Christian religion, and the purity
thereof, in doctrine and sacraments of the true church of
God, the liberty and freedom thereof, in her national,
synodal assemblies, presbyteries, sessions, policy, discipline,
and jurisdiction thereof; as that purity of religion, and
liberty of the church was used, professed, exercised, preached,
and confessed, according to the reformation of religion
in this realm: As for instance, the 99th Act, Parl. 7. Act
25. Parl. 11. Act 114. Parl. 12. Act 160. Parl. 13. of
King James VI. ratified by the 4th Act of King Charles.
So that the 6th Act, Parl. 1, and 68th Act, Parl. 6.
of King James VI. in the year of God 1579, declare the
ministers of the blessed evangel, whom God of his mercy
had raised up, or hereafter should raise, agreeing with them
that then lived, in doctrine and administration of the sacraments;
and the people that professed Christ, as he was then
offered in the evangel, and doth communicate with the
holy sacraments (as in the reformed kirks of this realm they
were presently adminstrate) according to the Confession of
Faith, to be the true and holy kirk of Christ Jesus within
this realm. And decerns and declares all and sundry, who
either gainsay the word of the evangel received and approved
as the heads of the Confession of Faith, professed in
Parliament in the year of God 1560, specified also in the
first Parliament of King James VI. and ratified in this
present Parliament, more particularly do express; or that
refuse the administration of the holy sacraments, as they
were then ministrated; to be no members of the said kirk
within this realm, and true religion presently professed, so
long as they keep themselves so divided from the society of
Christ's body. And the subsequent Act 69. Parl. 6. of
King James VI. declares, that there is no other face of
kirk, nor other face of religion, than was presently at that
time, by the favour of God, established within this realm:
Which therefore is ever styled "God's true religion,
Christ's true religion, the true and Christian religion, and
a perfect religion;" which, by manifold Acts of Parliament,
all within this realm are bound to profess, to subscribe
the articles thereof, the Confession of Faith, to recant
all doctrine and errors repugnant to any of the said articles,
Act 4. and 9. Parl. 1. Acts 45, 46, 47. Parl. 3. Act 71.
Parl. 6. Act 106. Parl. 7. Act 24. Parl. 11. Act 123.
Parl. 12. Act 194. and 197. Parl. 14. of King James VI.
And all magistrates, sheriffs, &c. on the one part, are ordained
to search, apprehend, and punish all contraveners:
For instance, Act 5. Parl. 1. Act 104. Parl. 7. Act 25.
Parl. 11. King James VI.; and that notwithstanding of
the King's Majesty's licences on the contrary, which are
discharged, and declared to be of no force, in so far as they
tend in any wise to the prejudice and hinder of the execution
of the Acts of Parliament against Papists and adversaries
of true religion, Act 106. Parl. 7. King James VI.
On the other part, in the 47th Act, Parl. 3. King James VI.
it is declared and ordained, Seeing the cause of God's
true religion and his Highness's authority are so joined, as
the hurt of the one is common to both; that none shall be
reputed as loyal and faithful subjects to our sovereign Lord,
or his authority, but be punishable as rebellers and gainstanders
of the same, who shall not give their confession,
and make their profession of the said true religion: and that
they who, after defection, shall give the confession of their
faith of new, they shall promise to continue therein in time
coming, to maintain our sovereign Lord's authority, and at
the uttermost of their power to fortify, assist, and maintain
the true preachers and professors of Christ's religion, against
whatsoever enemies and gainstanders of the same; and
namely, against all such, of whatsoever nation, estate, or
degree they be of, that have joined or bound themselves,
or have assisted, or assist, to set forward and execute the
cruel decrees of the council of Trent, contrary to the true
preachers and professors of the word of God; which is
repeated, word by word, in the articles of pacification at
Perth, the 23d of February 1572, approved by Parliament
the last of April 1573, ratified in Parliament 1587, and
related Act 123. Parl. 12 of King James VI.; with this
addition, "That they are bound to resist all treasonable
uproars and hostilities raised against the true religion,
the King's Majesty, and the true professors."

Likeas, all lieges are bound to maintain the King's
Majesty's royal person and authority, the authority of
Parliaments, without the which neither any laws or lawful
judicatories can be established, Act 130. and 131. Parl. 8.
King James VI. and the subjects' liberties, who ought only
to live and be governed by the King's laws, the common
laws of this realm allenarly, Act 48. Parl. 3. King James I.
Act 79. Parl. 6. King James IV.; repeated in the Act 131.
Parl. 8. King James VI.; which if they be innovated and
prejudged, "the commission anent the union of the two kingdoms
of Scotland and England, which is the sole act of the
17th Parl. of King James VI. declares," such confusion
would ensue as this realm could be no more a free monarchy:
because, by the fundamental laws, ancient privileges,
offices, and liberties of this kingdom, not only the princely
authority of his Majesty's royal descent hath been these many
ages maintained, but also the people's security of their
lands, livings, rights, offices, liberties, and dignities preserved.
And therefore, for the preservation of the said true
religion, laws, and liberties of this kingdom, it is statute by
the 8th Act, Parl. 1, repeated in the 99th Act, Parl. 7.
ratified in the 23d Act, Parl. 11, and 114th Act, Parl. 12.
of King James VI. and 4th Act, Parl. 1. of King Charles I.
"That all Kings and Princes at their coronation, and reception
of their princely authority, shall make their faithful
promise by their solemn oath, in the presence of the
eternal God, that, enduring the whole time of their lives,
they shall serve the same eternal God, to the uttermost of
their power, according as he hath required in his most holy
word, contained in the Old and New Testament; and according
to the same word, shall maintain the true religion
of Christ Jesus, the preaching of his holy word, the due
and right ministration of the sacraments now received and
preached within this realm, (according to the Confession of
Faith immediately preceding,) and shall abolish and gainstand
all false religion contrary to the same; and shall rule
the people committed to their charge, according to the will
and command of God revealed in his foresaid word, and
according to the laudable laws and constitutions received
in this realm, nowise repugnant to the said will of the
eternal God; and shall procure, to the uttermost of their
power, to the kirk of God, and whole Christian people,
true and perfect peace in all time coming: and that they
shall be careful to root out of their empire all hereticks and
enemies to the true worship of God, who shall be convicted
by the true kirk of God of the foresaid crimes." Which
was also observed by his Majesty, at his coronation in
Edinburgh 1633, as may be seen in the order of the
coronation.

In obedience to the commandment of God, conform to
the practice of the godly in former times, and according to
the laudable example of our worthy and religious progenitors,
and of many yet living amongst us, which was warranted
also by act of council, commanding a general band
to be made and subscribed by his Majesty's subjects of all
ranks; for two causes: one was, For defending the true religion,
as it was then reformed, and is expressed in the Confession
of Faith above written, and a former large Confession
established by sundry acts of lawful General Assemblies
and of Parliaments, unto which it hath relation, set down
in publick Catechisms; and which hath been for many
years, with a blessing from Heaven, preached and professed
in this kirk and kingdom, as God's undoubted truth,
grounded only upon his written word. The other cause
was, For maintaining the King's Majesty, his person and
estate; the true worship of God and the King's authority
being so straitly joined, as that they had the same friends
and common enemies, and did stand and fall together.
And finally, being convinced in our minds, and confessing
with our mouths, that the present and succeeding generations
in this land are bound to keep the foresaid national
oath and subscription inviolable.

We Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen, Burgesses, Ministers,
and Commons under-subscribing, considering divers times
before, and especially at this time, the danger of the true
reformed religion, of the King's honour, and of the publick
peace of the kingdom, by the manifold innovations and
evils, generally contained, and particularly mentioned in
our late supplications, complaints, and protestations; do
hereby profess, and before God, his angels, and the world,
solemnly declare, That with our whole heart we agree, and
resolve all the days of our life constantly to adhere unto
and to defend the foresaid true religion, and (forbearing the
practice of all innovations already introduced in the matters
of the worship of God, or approbation of the corruptions
of the publick government of the kirk, or civil places and
power of kirkmen, till they be tried and allowed in free
Assemblies and in Parliament) to labour, by all means lawful,
to recover the purity and liberty of the Gospel, as it
was established and professed before the foresaid novations.
And because, after due examination, we plainly perceive,
and undoubtedly believe, that the innovations and evils contained
in our supplications, complaints, and protestations,
have no warrant of the word of God, are contrary to the
articles of the foresaid Confession, to the intention and
meaning of the blessed reformers of religion in this land, to
the above-written acts of Parliament; and do sensibly tend
to the re-establishing of the Popish religion and tyranny,
and to the subversion and ruin of the true reformed religion,
and of our liberties, laws, and estates; we also declare,
That the foresaid Confessions are to be interpreted,
and ought to be understood of the foresaid novations and
evils, no less than if every one of them had been expressed
in the foresaid Confessions; and that we are obliged to
detest and abhor them, amongst other particular heads of
Papistry abjured therein. And therefore, from the knowledge
and conscience of our duty to God, to our King and
country, without any worldly respect or inducement, so far
as human infirmity will suffer, wishing a further measure
of the grace of God for this effect; we promise and swear,
by the GREAT NAME OF THE LORD OUR GOD,
to continue in the profession and obedience of the foresaid
religion; and that we shall defend the same, and resist all
these contrary errors and corruptions, according to our
vocation, and to the uttermost of that power that God
hath put in our hands, all the days of our life.

And in like manner, with the same heart, we declare before
God and men, That we have no intention nor desire to
attempt anything that may turn to the dishonour of God,
or to the diminution of the King's greatness and authority;
but, on the contrary, we promise and swear, That we shall,
to the uttermost of our power, with our means and lives,
stand to the defence of our dread sovereign the King's Majesty,
his person and authority, in the defence and preservation
of the foresaid true religion, liberties, and laws of the
kingdom; as also to the mutual defence and assistance every
one of us of another, in the same cause of maintaining the
true religion, and his Majesty's authority, with our best
counsel, our bodies, means, and whole power, against all
sorts of persons whatsoever; so that whatsoever shall be
done to the least of us for that cause, shall be taken as done
to us all in general, and to every one of us in particular.
And that we shall neither directly nor indirectly suffer ourselves
to be divided or withdrawn, by whatsoever suggestion,
combination, allurement, or terror, from this blessed and
loyal conjunction; nor shall cast in any let or impediment
that may stay or hinder any such resolution as by common
consent shall be found to conduce for so good ends; but,
on the contrary, shall by all lawful means labour to further
and promote the same: and if any such dangerous and
divisive motion be made to us by word or writ, we, and
every one of us, shall either suppress it, or, if need be, shall
incontinent make the same known, that it may be timeously
obviated. Neither do we fear the foul aspersions of rebellion,
combination, or what else our adversaries, from
their craft and malice, would put upon us; seeing what we
do is so well warranted, and ariseth from an unfeigned
desire to maintain the true worship of God, the majesty of
our King, and the peace of the kingdom, for the common
happiness of ourselves and our posterity.

And because we cannot look for a blessing from God upon
our proceedings, except with our profession and subscription
we join such a life and conversation as beseemeth
Christians who have renewed their covenant with God; we
therefore faithfully promise for ourselves, our followers, and
all others under us, both in publick, and in our particular
families, and personal carriage, to endeavour to keep ourselves
within the bounds of Christian liberty, and to be good
examples to others of all godliness, soberness, and righteousness,
and of every duty we owe to God and man.

And, that this our union and conjunction may be observed
without violation, we call the LIVING GOD, THE
SEARCHER OF OUR HEARTS, to witness, who
knoweth this to be our sincere desire and unfeigned resolution,
as we shall answer to JESUS CHRIST in the
great day, and under the pain of God's everlasting wrath,
and of infamy and loss of all honour and respect in this
world: most humbly beseeching the LORD to strengthen
us by his HOLY SPIRIT for this end, and to bless our
desires and proceedings with a happy success; that religion
and righteousness may flourish in the land, to the glory of
GOD, the honour of our King, and peace and comfort of
us all. In witness whereof, we have subscribed with our
hands all the premises.

THE article of this covenant, which was at the first
subscription referred to the determination of the
General Assembly, being now determined; and thereby
the five articles of Perth, the government of the kirk by
bishops, and the civil places and power of kirkmen, upon
the reasons and grounds contained in the Acts of the
General Assembly, declared to be unlawful within this
kirk, we subscribe according to the determination
aforesaid.

FINIS.

The above
document has been prepared according to the text of the Scottish National Covenant
commonly printed in the collection of documents bound together as the
"Westminster Confession of Faith" or "Confession of Faith, &c."; and is conform
to that printed by Sir D. Hunter and M.T. Bruce in Edinburgh, 1836;
with the exception that the footnote on page 485 concerning the Confession
subscribed at Halyrud-house, 1587-8, has been omitted, seeing (1) it is
not relevant to the Confession of Faith as described and dated above,
and (2) the inserted qualification referred to therein is characteristic
of attempts, ancient and modern, to nullify the effective obligations of
Covenants, Confessions, &c. by introducing terms which imply
a necessity of interpretation into documents originally intended to be
inherently definitive as to faith & practice.——JTKER::2008.12.04.